David Bowie Reissuing 'Rebel Rebel' on Its 40th Anniversary

Next month marks the 40th anniversary of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel," and Parlophone Records will mark the occasion by reissuing the single as a limited edition 7" picture disc. The A-side will feature the original single mix of the song, which has never been released on CD and hasn't been available on vinyl since the early 1980s. The AA-side will include a remixed version of the song that was released in North America in May of 1974. It's scheduled to hit shelves on March 11th.

"Rebel Rebel" was the debut single from Bowie's 1974 LP Diamond Dogs. It features one of his most memorable guitar riffs and was a radio smash despite it's gender-bending lyrics. "Rebel" was Bowie's first release since retiring the Ziggy Stardust character from the stage and separating from the Spiders From Mars, though the glam of Ziggy is still evident on many of Dogs' tracks. The cover image shows Bowie (in his Ziggy haircut) literally morphing into another creature, clearly suggesting that changes were coming.

Parlophone has spent the past few years celebrating the 40th anniversary of landmark David Bowie singles by re-releasing them as 7" picture discs. Previous releases include "Starman," "John, I'm Only Dancing," "The Jean Genie," "Drive In Saturday," "Life on Mars" and "Sorrow."